Nathan De Cat is a special talent. The imposing teenager is a delight to watch, with an ability that has one presuming he is far older than he is. He may only be 17, but the midfielder is one of Anderlechtโs key players and his goal against Club Brugge at the weekend oozed with class.
๐โโฌ | De vijandige sfeer van de thuisfans? Nathan De Cat raakt er niet van onder de indruk. ๐๐ง #CLUAND
โ DAZN Belgiรซ (@DAZN_BENL) March 9, 2026
Bekijk de samenvattingen van de wedstrijden van gisteren in de #JPL NU in de DAZN-app! ๐ฒ pic.twitter.com/SY89g2sef6
This summer, De Cat will surely be in demand, and top European clubs will be falling over themselves trying to lure him away from Belgium. Yet, De Cat has plenty of time to join the European elite. Instead of taking the leap this summer, the Anderlecht youngster should stick to Belgian football and focus on minutes over money.
Sure, this is an easy thing to say when you arenโt faced with the financial benefits at such a young age a move to the Premier League or another top European league offers. However, the long term benefits of sticking it out in Belgium for one or two more seasons could even improve De Catโs financial prospects. By staying with Anderlecht, the midfielder has far more chance to add to his 43 senior appearances. Leaving Anderlecht, where he is a first choice player, to join another top side could see him loaned out and lost in a system that prioritises buying the latest โwonderkidโ.
So many players from the Pro League have left early and then found themselves drifting around the top flights of European football searching for a home. Former Antwerp midfielder Arthur Vermeeren seems to be experiencing this. The now 21-year-old was a star for Antwerp before moving to join Atletico Madrid. He only made five appearances in Spain before being loaned to RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga. After 39 appearances, Vermeeren joined the German side permanently, but has since been loaned out to Marseille. Vermeeren has only started eight of the 14 Ligue 1 appearances he has made in the South of France.
Now, De Cat is arguably more talented than most of those who have left in recent years. If he had been around in the 2000s, it is likely he would be spending the next three to four years with Anderlecht before making the move. Football has changed a lot since then, and just half a good season for a youngster can see the big clubs swoop in.
The problem for Anderlecht and De Cat is that the club itself is in such turmoil off the pitch. They donโt have a permanent head coach and the Sporting Director situation is also in flux. Without stability at the club, De Cat may well see a move as a better chance of developing. Anderlecht have always been able to develop youngsters through their academy, and De Cat is just the latest from a long line of quality players to make it out of Brussels.
This summer, both De Cat and Anderlecht will have to make a decision. Transfermarkt currently value De Cat at โฌ17m, but the Brussels side should be looking for a lot more than that if they sell the teenager. There arenโt many teenagers in world football showing what the midfielder is showing, and acquiring that level of talent should not come cheap for any of Europeโs top clubs.
GBeNeFNย |ย Ben Jackson
